As details of flash flood in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand continue to emerge, I am putting together a tweet thread of the warnings we had & the costs. #ClimateCrisis is affecting water flow in the Himalayan region, one that we cannot choose to ignore. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dishashetty/2020/09/16/study-climate-change-is-altering-water-flow-in-the-himalayan-region/?sh=121ea2f561ca
Extreme events like floods in the Himalayan region is only set to rise further in the coming years. #ClimateCrisis is already affecting lives and livelihoods here: https://www.indiaspend.com/in-the-himalayas-living-the-crisis-that-the-ipcc-report-warns-of/
Alongside floods there will also be water shortage. Famed mountain retreats such as Mussoorie, Darjeeling and Kathmandu may soon face acute water distress--with a demand-supply gap already as vast as 70% in some towns. https://www.indiaspend.com/himalayan-towns-like-darjeeling-mussoorie-kathmandu-fast-running-dry/
To deal with the impacts we will need a health sector that is well funded, an infrastructure that is climate resilient, and a shift towards more renewables. https://www.indiaspend.com/why-india-must-raise-its-health-budget-to-tackle-impending-climate-disasters/
But instead, our chosen model of growth and development model relies not on conservation but further opening up our protected areas, including biodiversity hotspots. https://www.indiaspend.com/environment-vs-economy-indias-flawed-logic-that-exposes-it-to-covid-19-like-infections/
The result: In 2019 India was ranked 7th among countries worst-hit by extreme weather events. #ClimateCrisis https://www.forbes.com/sites/dishashetty/2021/01/25/in-2019-mozambique-zimbabwe-and-the-bahamas-hardest-hit-by-extreme-weather-events/?sh=76967aac2cc9